FMRI Study On Heroin-related Cues Induced Craving In Heroin Addicts Long After Nucleus Accumbens Ablation

ObjectiveTo study the relevance between craving and brain response to heroin-relatedcues in heroin addicts long after nucleus accumbens ablation.Methods10heroin addicts long after nucleus accumbens ablation and10demographically-matched heroin addicts were included in the experiment. Thesubjects attended the heroin-cue induction paradigm of fMRI.Data were analyzedby the SPM5software.ResultsThe heroin-dependent group reported significantly increased craving followingexposure to heroin-related cues. The activated brain regions includedthe hippocampus, caudate, inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, gyrustemporalis inferior, middle occipital gyrus, inferior parietal lobule. The groupafter nucleus accumbens ablation did not report craving change. The activatedbrain regions included the hippocampus,middle temporal gyrus, gyrus temporalis inferior, inferior parietal lobule, middle occipital gyrus. Compared with theheroin group, the group after nucleus accumbens ablation showed greateractivation in nucleus accumbens and lower activation in precuneus and lingualgyrus.ConclusionThe nucleus accumbens may play an important role in the process of drugcues-induced craving.